1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools for handling electrical components, and particularly to a tool for separating electrical components from one another in a non-destructive manner.
2. Discussion of the Known Art
It is sometimes necessary to separate and to remove an electrical component from a printed wire board in order to test the component for proper operation. A problem arises when terminals of the component are soldered on the wire board. This makes it difficult to remove the component without cutting off the terminals entirely or overheating the component while de-soldering the terminals from the board.
Further, it is common to interconnect and to join printed wire boards to one another via mating pin connectors, wherein a pin connector on one board is aligned with a mating socket connector on the other board, and the board connectors are joined to one another. Printed wire boards thus joined are then usually mounted as a unit on a common chassis frame, and separation of the joined boards later for repair purposes presents a special challenge. Attempting to pry the boards apart at their edges near the chassis frame usually fails to transmit a sufficient disconnecting force in the region of the mated connectors, and, further, is not a desirable technique since damage can be inflicted to printed traces or components near the edge of a board where a pry bar is applied. Damage may also occur to electrical components or solder joints at any region of the board which flexes or bends when its edges are pried relative to the chassis frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,2:37 (Sep. 10, 1991) discloses an extractor tool, for removing a circuit module from a connector which is latched to the circuit module. The tool has a pair of legs with tapered edge surfaces, for springing latches on the connector apart to release the module. U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,052 (Oct. 6, 1992) relates to a printed circuit board removal tool for removing a memory board from an underlying processor board. The tool has inner and outer U-shaped frame structures, which bear against surfaces of the boards and separate them in response to operation of upper and lower tool handle members.
There remains a need for a tool that can be fabricated relatively simply and inexpensively but which nonetheless works reliably to separate electrical components in a non-destructive manner, especially when the components are soldered on a printed wire board, or when the components are themselves printed wire boards that are joined to one another via mating pin connectors.